


Zoyalai Short Fics

by nazyalenskyism



Series: Grishaverse Collection [9]
Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28424133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nazyalenskyism/pseuds/nazyalenskyism
Summary: A collection of Zoyalai drabbles originally posted on my tumblr!
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Series: Grishaverse Collection [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959739
Kudos: 31





	1. What Will Time Take?

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any requests or prompt ideas, send them to myruthlesszoya.tumblr.com/ask ! All blurbs posted on tumblr will eventually be posted here.

Zoya turned her head away and Nikolai was startled to see tears welling in her eyes. She swiped at them furiously, and he knew that Zoya was angry with herself for letting him see this emotion from her. His commander was always composed, not a hair out of place much like himself and even in the rare moments where they discussed their pasts, they never quite let their guard down enough to display _this_ , which she clearly considered a sign of weakness. 

“I’ve only ever let two people into my heart, and considered letting a third in,” she began slowly, her jaw clenching the more she spoke. “One betrayed me, the second freed me, she saved me, only to be killed because I believed in the third.” 

“And you think that Genya, Tamar, Tolya, Nadia and David, that they haven’t found their way inside of your heart? That you didn’t love your fellow Grisha who died the night of the Darkling’s attack? To live is to grieve Zoya, because you live, you love and because you love, you will have to say goodbye to that same love one day. Just because something will be hard one day doesn’t mean that we don’t dare to try it all. The General I know would never back down from a challenge. She would charge in head-on, and fight with everything she had.” She looked up at his remark, her eyes sparking with the ferocity he had always admired from her. Her passion kept the light burning, kept him marching and he couldn’t imagine trying to move this country forward without it at his side.

“What’s stopping you, Nazyalensky?” He dared to inch closer to her, until he was sitting close enough to feel the silk of her kefta against his shoulder.

“I’m not scared,” but she wouldn't look at him, her eyes were trained on the mantle.

“I know.” 

“What if I forget you?” she blurted abruptly, Zoya’s fingers twisted the midnight blue silk draped over her legs, as her candid statement sparked his own nerves. “Time’s already taken the exact shade of her eyes, the warmth of her hugs, and I’m only in my first lifetime, Nikolai.” 

He knew he couldn’t comfort her in her fears-- he had always hoped to live a long life, but a long life for him was only a fraction of Zoya’s life. He would never understand how she truly felt, but he could feel the similarities to his own fears. Nikolai was tired of feeling alone, he wanted this, and he was tired of them both skirting around it all. 

He took her hand in his own, lacing his fingers with hers, his heart contracting when her head slipped to his shoulder. He didn’t want to let this go. He wanted to hold onto this for as long as he could, if she would have him. They sat like that until he found the breath he needed to speak again, whispering as he rested his head against hers, _"maybe time would not erase me."_


	2. Barely Leashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A 1045 word Zoyalai fic based on a prompt from anon: a commoner disrespects Zoya in front of Nikolai disguised as a commoner.

“This is ridiculous,” Zoya hissed, pulling her hem from the uneven mud of the road, the rough material of the coat buttoned over her kefta scratching relentlessly at her skin. They were quickly approaching a large group of people at the heart of the fold, the twins staying on the skiff as Zoya and Nikolai went to investigate further. The memories of the final battle here were flying at her, and it took all of her ability to quiet the noise they brought on in her head. Harshaw falling to the ground, a scarlet mark against the darkness, Alina’s tears as she drove her knife into Mal, Nikolai dropping from the sky into the windstream she’d summoned to catch him. 

“I can think of something more ridiculous that we’re doing today,” Nikolai hummed. His hood was pulled low hiding his golden hair, but his infuriating tone was rarely concealed. How was a man who may be marching to the gallows so optimistic? He was walking through the location of the worst moment of their lives, how was there still a skip in his step? Was it all a show, or was he truly okay with this all? 

“Oh, right,” she grumbled, “you’re getting ready to be burned alive or staked through the heart by a magical plant from a children’s story. How could I possibly forget that?”

“Come now, Nazyalensky, doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“No, it doesn’t. Why are we even--”

“Watch where you’re stepping!” the pair paused in stride, turning towards the voice that was reprimanding them. As if her nerves weren’t already thrumming, a man in black scholarly robes was gesturing fervently at them. “This is where the Starless Saint took his last stand against the _boy king’s_ army.” Zoya resisted the urge to roll her eyes, they had to deal with yet another mindless follower like Yuri rattling on about their stupid saint. Nikolai had told her to hold her tongue and so she would, but she could feel herself beginning to seethe at the sheer insolence with which they referred to their king with.

“My apologies,” Nikolai smiled amiably, “could you please tell us more? We have just come from Kerch.”

The man lifted a greasy eyebrow and she suppressed every urge to rip the satisfied smile off his face. “The king could have followed the Starless Saint’s philosophies, but instead he surrounded himself with wayward voices that seek to ruin the Saint’s work-- like the Grisha Triumvirate. Like that,” his expression tightened, vehemence shadowing his features, “like that _Commander Nazyalensky,_ ” he practically spat. She wanted to laugh, _Nikolai being led astray by her of all people?_ It was a ridiculous notion, the king was just as stubborn as her, and he was too clever to not notice when he was being pushed in any given direction. 

“Zoya Nazyalensky represents everything that is wrong with Ravka. She seduces the king into everything the Darkling was against, and the king cannot see how the witch twists his mind. She has corrupted this country.” Zoya raised her brows, _oh, she’d certainly been busy then._ She couldn’t care less what some pathetic little Darkling supporter cried about, but beside her, she felt Nikolai tense suddenly. The king rarely lost his temper, and they could not afford for anyone to discover their identities, not here not now.

Before she could move however, he had already taken a step towards the monk, “do you really believe your king so foolish? That he is incapable of thinking on his own?”

“Well--” the man started haughtily, but he had yet to notice the lion toying with its prey before snapping his jaws. 

Nikolai moved closer again, and now his voice was even lower, “do you know what the commander has sacrificed to save this country from ruin at the hands of your precious _‘Starless Saint’_?” His tone was frigid, his eyes alight with mockery-- she had never known just how irritated the cult made him-- if that was even what this was. Was he irritated by their comments about him? He never seemed to lack confidence in himself but then again, he was a master of disguising his true emotions. Regardless, she couldn’t let their cover be blown. She moved towards them, maybe she could pry Nikolai away, but she stopped when he turned to her, and saw the quiet anger behind his eyes. 

“Do you see that woman there,” he whispered, his tone barely leashed, nodding at her. The man’s eyes were growing wider as he began to tremble. “She works with commander Nazyalensky and the naive king,” he laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. “Apologize to her for wasting her time and insulting what she stands for.” 

“Ex-excuse me?”

“Apologize to her,” Nikolai smiled, “and if you don’t, I promise that you will regret it. And I am nothing if not a man of my word.”

The man mumbled out a shaky sorry but Zoya paid it no attention. She was fixated on Nikolai, he had never done anything like that before, and while she certainly didn’t need his defense, she could admit that she felt a thrill at how he had her back even with the pettiest of problems. 

“That’ll be all,” she said, taking to Nikolai’s side as they walked back to the skiff together. Her nerves were still thrumming, there was something about Nikolai actually voicing his anger for once rather than concealing it that made her feel oddly content.

“Ever chivalrous, your highness.” 

“Why Nazyalensky, we seem to have switched roles. His arm was still tense under her hand as she made to stop him. 

“I didn’t need you to do that for me. I am more than capable of handling my own affairs.”

“Believe me, I know that.” Nikolai took a breath, “I forgot myself for a second and it won’t happen again.”

“Well,” she drawled, attempting to lighten the tone and wipe the sombre look from his face, “I wouldn’t be opposed to it happening again…”

He shot her a tight smile as the skiff appeared ahead of them, “I’ll keep that in mind, Nazyalensky, but I don’t think it will.” 

“Whatever you say, your highness.”


	3. And Here I Thought You Couldn't Get Any More Ridiculous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the prompt: _‘And here I thought you couldn't get any more ridiculous.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zoya and Nikolai being Zoya and Nikolai.

“What if you married me?”

“And here I thought you couldn’t get any more ridiculous,” Zoya huffed, taking another sip from her wine glass.

“What’s so ridiculous about marrying me?”

“Well, let’s see,” she mocked, punctuating each point by ticking it off on a finger, “you’ll get no money for Ravka from that. You will gain no new political allies. Your people will never accept a Grisha queen. You want to marry for love. And all that aside, you are assuming that I would ever want to marry you, your highness.” 

“All of those matters can be resolved,” Nikolai insisted, plucking the glass from her hands and taking a swig as he threw himself down next to her. 

“How, Nikolai? It’s not possible to fix everything using your fast talk and charm.”

“Improbable, not impossible, Zoya dear.”

“Insufferable and ridiculous, maybe you really can be everything at once.”

“I never said I couldn’t. If anything you are the contrarian in this relationship, Nazyalensky.”

“What relationship?” she scoffed, snatching her wine glass back. Even now, the king took too many liberties. She could not care less about the rumors that she was his mistress but Zoya knew that if Nikolai were to ever find a wife, those types of rumors couldn’t be floating around. She was taking too much of a liberty herself tonight, it was late and she was sharing a nightcap alone with the king in his chambers. No potential bride would want to pursue a husband who spent so much of his personal time with his general. Although, she was sure that he would be too busy spending this time they shared with his wife, enough so that he would finally let her retire to her own chambers at a decent time instead of sitting in front of the fire with him. 

She did feel a prickle of something in her heart though, when she thought of the idea of not having this routine anymore. Zoya couldn’t quite figure out why this was, though she supposed it was likely due to the prospect of having to construct a new routine rather than fall back into what she knew. Nikolai would have his wife to spend his evenings with, and Zoya would have time to herself to do what, exactly? Tag along with Genya and David or Tamar and Nadia while the couples mooned over each other? Disgusting. Attend poetry evenings with Tolya? No thanks. Go to Count Kirigin’s revels? She’d rather spend the night hunting down Nikolai’s monster friend or worse, teaching herself how to knit. She shuddered at the thought, the cherry red wine sweet on her lips but a bitter taste remained in her mouth. 

“What if I gave you a ring?” Nikolai continued, ignoring her words, “you do like jewels.” 

“Didn’t you waste the Lantsov emerald on the Sun Summoner? I doubt you have enough funds to buy a gem a fraction of its size.” 

“Really?” Nikolai laughed, “you have that little faith in me?”

“It’s not faith Nikolai, it’s basic mathematics. If you’re unable to pay off your loans you’re unable to buy the type of jewelry that’s worth marrying a man over.” 

“So I suppose I shouldn’t be in possession of this?” Nikolai waved a small black box under her nose, eyes sparkling with delight when her eyes widened slightly at the sight of it.

“Nikolai--” her hand shot out to cover his firmly, making sure he couldn’t open the box. “I need to go,” a terrible excuse, but it was all she could think to say. This had gone from playful banter to crossing the line into being dangerous. They could not afford this, no matter how much she wanted to know what was in the box.

“No, you don’t. Not until you see this at least.”

Before she could shoot to her feet however, Nikolai’s hand escaped her grasp slipping craftily over her own so now she was the one who couldn’t pry her fingers free. Nikolai gave her an expecting look, and when she didn’t move, he sighed dramatically, flipping the lid open.

She couldn’t stop the shock from flickering onto her face. There, at the center of the black box, resting on the cushion was a… folded piece of parchment? Her eyes flicked to his and he simply nodded at it, indicating that she should take it. Tentatively she unfolded it single handedly, her other hand still enclosed in his.

“Are you serious?”

“Aren’t I always?”

She slapped his shoulder as a grin bloomed over his features. _“I owe you one ring?_ You’re ridiculous.”

He shrugged, “you know our finances as well as I do, we can’t afford that.”

“Exactly why you need a bride who has an excess of gold.”

“I don’t particularly care for gold.”

“Maybe that’s why you’re the head of a bankrupt country.” 

He considered that for a second, “no, I think it was because of my charm.”

“Interesting word for circumstance.”

“Circumstance, or twenty one years of training myself to be king in the making?”

She rolled her eyes, pulling her hand from his around the box as an exhale expelled the tension that had been coiled in her. Zoya had been right, he wasn’t serious about this. It was simply Nikolai being silly with a little too much alcohol in his system. “Goodnight, King Wretch.”

“Goodnight, commander. Don’t think I won’t be asking again when I have a ring.”

“Once you have money, you mean?”

“Yes,” Nikolai laughed.

“So in two hundred some years?”

He winked, at her as she slipped out the door, “it may be sooner than you think.” 

“Like I said before, I thought you couldn't get any more ridiculous, but you manage to outdo yourself every time.”

“I _am_ nothing if not extraordinary.” Nikolai said, shutting the door behind her, and Zoya didn’t miss the sound of his gleeful laugh as she made her way back to her own chambers.


End file.
